Accessibility

Accessibility & Universal Access

Why accessibility matters

Accessibility is one of the most important issues for Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie because we believe every member of our community should be able to enjoy safe, equitable and dignified access to aquatic recreation.

Our supporters include many people living with disability, older residents, people with reduced mobility, carers, families with young children, and others who experience challenges accessing coastal environments. Many have shared their lived experience and highlighted that accessibility is about far more than complying with minimum design standards—it is about creating a destination that is practical, comfortable and genuinely inclusive from arrival through to departure.

We strongly support the development of an accessible ocean pool for the Port Macquarie community. However, we do not believe Oxley Beach is the right location to achieve that objective. Its steep natural topography, limited parking, constrained pedestrian access and busy road environment create significant barriers that are difficult to overcome, regardless of engineering solutions.

Rather than adapting a challenging site to fit the project, we believe the community should be seeking a location that naturally supports universal access—one where people of all ages and abilities can arrive safely, park conveniently, access amenities with ease, enjoy the water independently where possible, and leave without unnecessary physical or logistical barriers. True accessibility is not simply reaching the pool; it is ensuring the entire experience is safe, welcoming, equitable and inclusive for everyone.

Can Oxley Beach genuinely deliver universal accessibility?

One of the principal reasons advanced for selecting Oxley Beach as the preferred location for the proposed Ocean Pool is the opportunity to deliver an accessible and inclusive aquatic facility.

Protect Oxley Beach strongly supports accessible recreation and believes every member of the community should have equitable opportunities to enjoy the coast. However, accessibility must be considered as an entire journey—not simply whether a person can enter the water.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards, and relevant Australian Standards including AS 1428 (Design for Access and Mobility) and AS 2890.6 (Accessible Parking), accessibility is intended to provide safe, equitable, independent and dignified access from arrival through to departure.

The steep natural topography of Oxley Beach raises important questions about whether these objectives can realistically be achieved at this location.

The challenge of the site itself

Unlike many existing ocean pools located on relatively level foreshore land, Oxley Beach sits within a steep natural coastal amphitheatre, with the beach located well below Pacific Drive.

To overcome this natural landform, the Nicole Larkin feasibility design proposes a sweeping access ramp of approximately 150 metres extending from the headland to the rock platform below.

While the proposed ramp may be capable of being designed to comply with maximum gradients prescribed by AS 1428.1, compliance alone does not necessarily equate to practical accessibility.

For a manual wheelchair user, person using crutches, walking frame or mobility aid, a journey of approximately 150 metres down to sea level—and then the same distance back uphill after swimming—may represent a significant physical challenge. Although Australian Standards permit long ramps when rest landings are incorporated, the overall distance and sustained climb remain important considerations when assessing whether a facility provides equitable and practical access for a broad range of users.

The ramp would also be fully exposed to the coastal environment throughout its length. Salt spray, sea mist, wind-driven sand, algae, rain and blowing debris have the potential to reduce surface grip and increase maintenance requirements. These conditions may present additional challenges for users who rely on stable footing or wheelchair traction.

Accessibility begins before reaching the pool

Universal accessibility begins at the point of arrival.

A genuinely accessible public facility requires convenient accessible parking, safe pedestrian routes, continuous accessible pathways and simple wayfinding before a visitor even reaches the entrance.

This is where the physical constraints of Oxley Beach become particularly important.

Pacific Drive sits on a narrow, elevated headland above the beach. Parking is already limited, particularly during weekends and holiday periods, and the road carries high volumes of local traffic, tourists, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

The steep terrain presents practical challenges for providing compliant accessible parking. Australian Standard AS 2890.6 requires accessible parking spaces to be provided on relatively level surfaces to enable safe wheelchair transfers and independent use. The existing road geometry, crossfalls and constrained road reserve limit opportunities to provide compliant parking close to the proposed entrance.

The feasibility concept also proposes additional reverse-angle parking. While reverse-angle parking can improve safety in some settings, its operation on a constrained, busy tourist road requires careful consideration for users unloading wheelchairs, mobility scooters or walking aids, particularly where traffic volumes, limited verge space and pedestrian movements converge.

For many visitors arriving from surrounding parking areas, accessing the facility would also involve negotiating busy Pacific Drive, existing footpaths and the lengthy access ramp before reaching the water.

Accessibility extends beyond entering the water

A truly inclusive aquatic facility requires much more than an accessible pool entry.

Visitors may also require:

• accessible parking close to the entrance

• continuous accessible pathways

• accessible toilets and showers

• accessible change facilities

• adult change facilities in accordance with Changing Places principles

• hoists where required

• seating and shaded rest areas

• accessible emergency evacuation arrangements

• convenient access for carers and support workers.

Providing these facilities within a steep coastal headland presents further design challenges.

Locating amenities at the top of the headland means users may need to travel the full length of the ramp simply to access toilets or changing facilities before returning to the pool.

Alternatively, locating substantial amenities at the base of the headland would require additional buildings, plumbing, sewerage, electrical services and supporting infrastructure to be constructed within environmentally sensitive C2 Environmental Conservation land adjacent to the rock platform.

Both approaches illustrate the complexity of delivering an integrated accessible facility in a constrained coastal setting.

Accessibility should be seamless, not fragmented

Modern universal design principles recognise that accessibility is measured by the quality of the entire user experience.

That journey includes:

• arriving at the site

• finding accessible parking

• crossing roads safely

• travelling along accessible pathways

• accessing amenities and change facilities

• entering and exiting the water

• returning safely to the point of departure.

If any stage of that journey presents unnecessary barriers, the overall accessibility of the facility is diminished.

The steep topography of Oxley Beach, limited parking opportunities, constrained pedestrian network, busy Pacific Drive corridor and environmentally sensitive setting all raise legitimate planning questions about whether this location can provide the seamless, dignified and practical accessibility that the project seeks to achieve, or whether an alternative site with level access and supporting infrastructure could better meet the objective of delivering truly inclusive aquatic recreation.